95 



out the year, those having their full share of the labourers 

 of the parish, would not be willing to increase their number. 



It seems to be thought that out-door relief to able-bodied 

 labourers should no longer be given; but it surely never 

 could have been contemplated to put such a number of 

 them as I have alluded to, in the workhouse, from a tempo- 

 rary want of employment. From the distance that some 

 would have to go, they could not be set to work, all at the 

 same place, under the superintendence of a person ap- 

 pointed by the Board of Guardians. Nor could those 

 belonging to Moulton (and probably in other parishes), be 

 employed in raising stones and repairing the parish roads, 

 for there are always in winter many more so employed than 

 are necessary, consisting of men beyond the age of what is 

 called able-bodied. Were the Board of Guardians autho- 

 rised to allow, for the necessary time, the establishment of 

 the Labour Rate, every man would get into employment at 

 such wages as his labour was worth. 



I am a Guardian in one of the Unions in this county, and 

 can bear testimony to the extraordinary well working of the 

 Poor Law Amendment Act. When attending the meetings 

 it lias often struck my mind with surprise, that the Act 

 should, without the necessity of alteration, appear fully to 

 meet most of the various cases brought before us, and I can, 

 as a practical farmer, contradict in the most positive terms, 

 the assertion that has so often been made, that it tends to 

 lessen the wages of agricultural labourers. This is only 

 one of the many unfounded, assertions against the measure. 

 Such affirmations it is easy to make, but, though they have 

 no foundation in fact, it is not so easy to remove the im- 

 pressions they may have made on the minds of those who are 

 not thoroughly acquainted with the subject. The decisions 

 of a Board of Guardians are much more likely to be 

 respected by the applicants for relief than the decisions of a 

 parish vestry ; they come with greater authority, and from 

 those who, it must be well known, cannot be biassed either 

 by motives of parsimony, or by feelings of personal favour 

 or dislike towards those who apply. The greater part of the 

 applicants to Justices for relief, were those least deserving 

 of it. Such now well know that it will not answer their 

 purpose to go to a Board of Guardians with a fabricated tale. 



